Bag holders



H. K. FOX

BAG HOLDERS Aug. 9, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 19, 1951 2 w M u lm N i 7 a 1 HU 5 H\// M. H l 4 INVENTOR. fiARoL 0 K. Fox

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BAG HOLDERS Aug. 9, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 19, 1951 INVENTOJR./7ARO/ 0 h. Fox W 6 duo, WM ATTORNEYS H. K. FOX

BAG HOLDERS Aug. 9, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 19, 1951 INVENTOR.f/AROLD K. Fox

ATTORNEYS United States Patent BAG HOLDERS Harold K. Fox, Minneapolis,Minn, assignor t0 Bemis Bro. Bag Company, Minneapolis, Minn., acorporation of Missouri Application November 19, 1951, Serial No.257,164 Claims. (Cl. 248-101) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in bag holders and more particularly to such an apparatushaving means embodied therein for preventing spouting of the materialfrom the bag during the filling operation.

It is now common to package powdered milk and other comminuted productsin large moisture proof bags, the walls of which are made imperforate ornon-porous, as is well known, to prevent the penetration of moisturethrough the bag walls into the contents thereof. Powdered milk is highlysusceptible to moisture and rapidly deteriorates when subjected thereto,and it is therefore customary to package such materials in largewaterproof bags preferably having multi-ply walls to provide adequatestrength and flexibility to resist rough handling when the filled bagsare transported from one place to another.

When introducing powdered milk or other analogous materials intonon-porous bags, there is a tendency for the material to spout from thebag mouth, which is highly objectionable, and an object of the presentinvention is to provide a. bag holder having means embodied therein forcompletely overcoming this difficulty, whereby such bags may beexpeditiously filled without danger of the material spouting into theair around the packing tube during the filling operation, as is now acommon occurrence with various types of conventional bag holders.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bag holder forsupporting the open top or mouth of a bag of a large flexible walled bagin filling position upon a conventional packer tube, whereby such bagsmay readily and quickly be filled without danger of the materialspouting from the open mouth thereof.

A further object is to provide a bag holder having means for supportingit. in operative relation to the packer tube and comprising a pair ofclamping jaws mounted for swinging movement in a horizontal plane andinterconnected for simultaneous movement in opposite directions, andsaid jaws having means at their outer ends for securing them in bagholding position during the filling operation.

A further object is to provide a bag holder attachment for aconventional packer tube comprising a hollow member of spheroidalcross-section having means for securing it to the packer tube with itslong dimension disposed in the median plane of the bag body, when anempty bag is secured thereto by the clamping jaws, and the opposed sidewalls of said hollow member co-acting with said jaws to grip theintermediate portions of the bag top walls when the jaws are operativelyengaged with the bag top.

A further object is to provide a bag holder comprising a hollow memberof spheroidal cross-section having means for securing it to the packertube in axial alignment therewith, and a pair of pivoted clamping jawsbeing mounted to clampingly engage the opposed side walls of said memberwith a wipingf action, when said jaws are brought together to secure theopposed walls of a bag top thereto, and a porous hood sealing the opentop end of said hollow member to prevent spouting of the materialtherefrom during the filling operation, the porous walls of said hoodpermitting air to escape therethrough to the atmosphere and also preventa back pressure from developing within the body of the bag during theintroduction of the material thereinto.

Other objects of the invention reside in the means provided forsupporting the hollow spheroidal member on the packer tube; in the meansprovided for engaging and supporting the rear end of the bag top whensaid top is fitted over the spheroidal member, thereby to re tain thebag top in proper position on the packer tube before it is securedthereto by the clamping jaws; in the flexible facing provided on theclamping jaws for engaging the bag top walls whereby said walls arefirmly pressed into clamping engagement with the opposed side walls ofthe spheroidal member in substantially leaktight relalation, and wherebythe bag top cannot accidentally become detached from the packer tubeduring the filling operation; in the cam means provided for retainingthe jaws in clamping engagement with the bag top fitted over the packertube, including a latch member pivoted to the outer end of one of theclamping jaws and an adjustable roller secured to the other of saidjaws; in the adjustable mounting of the depending finger for engagingthe rear end of each bag top to accurately locate the bag top verticallyrelative to the jaws to prevent damage to the adhesive-coated area, andmore particularly to the strip of sealing tape which is normallyattached to one of the side walls of the bag top during the manufacturethereof; and also whereby each bag top will be properly centered on thepacker tube by said jaws; in the novel construction of the jaws and saidspheroidal member whereby all wrinkles and any rough surfaces present inthe bag top walls prior to securing the bag top in position on thepacker tube to receive a charge, are positively removed therefrom whenthe bag top walls are pressed into sealing engagement with the opposedwalls of the spheroidal member, thereby preventing any of the materialdelivered into the bag from contacting the adhesive coated area thereofor the attached sealing tape.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for theirattainment will be more apparent from the following description taken inconnection. with the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structuredesigned to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is tobe understood that the invention is not confined to the exact featuresshown, as various changes may be made within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a sectional elevation of a conventional packer tube showingthe invention attached thereto;

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing abag top secured in position on the packer tube to receive a charge;

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view substantially on the line 3-3 ofFigure l, the full lines showing the jaws in wide open positions, andthe dotted lines indicating the positions of the jaws when initiallyengaging the bag top walls;

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, showingthe clamping jaws. in operative engagement with a bag top;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure1;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 7, showingthe adjustably mounted anti-friction roller or sleeve mounted on theouter end of one of the clamping jaws for engaging the, latch membercarried by the other of said jaws;

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 77 of Figure6;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, but showing a bag top positionedbetween the jaws; and

Figure 9 is a view showing the upper end of the spheroidal member closedto the atmosphere to provide a closed chamber, and one end of a suctiontube being in communication therewith.

In the selected embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, there isillustrated in Figure l, for purposes of disclosure, a conventionalpacker tube 2 having its upper end in communication with a hopper 3. Thenovel bag holder attachment herein disclosed is shown comprising ahollow member, generally designated by the numeral 4, which isspheroidal in cross section, as illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4, andis secured to the packer tube 2 by a horizontally disposed web 5 havingits opposed side edges shaped to coincide with the curvature of theopposed side walls 6 and 7 of the member 4, as best illustrated inFigure 4. The opposed edges of the web 5 are fixedly secured to theinner surfaces of the walls 6 and 7 by such means as welding, and theweb has an enlarged central aperture therein for receiving the packertube 2 to which it may also be welded.

A horizontally disposed plate 8 is shown having one end suitably securedto a Ushaped bracket 9 by such means as welding. Bracket 9 is secured toa horizontal member 11 having its end portions secured to a supportingstructure including a pair of spaced uprights 12 and 13, shown inFigures 1, 3, and 4. The bracket 9 may be secured to the member 11 bysuitable bolts 14, indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. The upper endsof the uprights 12 and 13 may be secured to an upper supporting member15 having its forwardly extending end portion 16 secured to the packertube 2 by such means as clamping bolts 17.

A pair of clamping jaws 18 and 19 are shown mounted for pivotal movementon vertically disposed pivots 21 and 22, respectively, having theirupper ends supported in plate 8 and fixed thereto by Welding, asindicated at 23 in Figure 5. Arms 18 and 19 are preferably shaped asillustrated in Figure 3, and have their inner faces lined with asuitable resilient facing 24 such as sponge rubber, for frictionallyengaging and clamping the opposed side walls 25 and 26 of the bag topagainst the opposed segmental side walls 6 and '7, respectively, of thehollow member 4, as will be understood by reference to Figure 4. It willbe noted by reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4,

that the long dimension of the hollow member 4 is disposed in the medianplane of the bag top, whereby the bag top engaging surfaces of theclamping jaws will engage the bag top walls the full length thereof,when the jaws are in bag top clamping positions, as shown in Figure 4.

The spheroidal configuration of the hollow member 4 constitutes animportant feature of the present invention in that its opposed convexside walls 6 and 7 cooperate with the concave bag top engaging faces ofthe jaws 18 and 19 to impart what might well be termed, a wiping actionof the jaws with the bag walls when the jaws are swung into clampingengagement therewith, as shown in Figure 4. In Figure 3 it will be notedthat as the jaws are swung inwardly into engagement with the bag topwalls, the portions AA theretof initially engage the bag walls, asindicated by the dotted lines in Figure 3.

As the jaws continue inwardly from the dotted line, positions thereshown, the portions A-A of the arms swing inwardly and rearwardly, asindicated by the broken lines a-a in Figure 3, whereby they engage thebag walls with a wiping action as they are moved into clampingengagement therewith, as shown in Figure 2. It is to be understood thatduring the movement 0t the jaws into clamping engagement with the bagtop walls, the forward edge of the bag top is held in the position shownin Figure 3 by the operator who grasps the bag top at point B below thejaws 18 and 19, and pulls it forwardly, as indicated by the arrow inFigure 3. Such action of the jaws on the bag walls is highly importantin that it smooths out the deckled edge of the bag top and any wrinklesor roughness which may be present therein when the bag top is initiallyfitted over the member 4.

T o secure the jaws in bag top clamping positions, as shown in Figure 4,a latch member 27 is pivoted to arm 18 by a pivot pin 28. The latchmember is provided at one end with an operating handle 29 and at itsopposite end with a cam face 31 adapted to engage an antifriction rolleror sleeve 32 rotatably mounted upon a fixed eccentric 33, adjustablysecured in the end of arm 19 by a lock screw or bolt 34, bestillustrated in Figure 7.

Tho facilitate adjustment of the eccentric 33 relative to arm 19, theeccentric may be secured to the bolt 34 so that when the nut 35 on thebottom end of bolt 34 is loosened, the cam may be rotatively adjusted inthe arm 19 by rotating the head of bolt 34, as will readily beunderstood. The eccentric is locked in adjusted position by the nut 35.The cam face 31 terminates at its inner end in a recess 36 adapted toreceive the roller 32 and retain the latch 27 in locking engagement withroller 32, as will be understood by reference to Figure 6.

To facilitate swinging the jaws into clamping engagement with the bagtop, the jaws are provided with interengaging gear segments 37 and 38,best shown in Figure 3, whereby the arms operate simultaneously inopposite directions and may readily be operated with one hand, as willbe understood. The gear segments 37 and 38 are shown secured to thelower end of elongated hubs 39 and 41 bored to receive the pivot pins 21and 22, respectively, as best illustrated in Figure 5. The gear segmentsare secured to the upper portions of the jaws 18 and 19 by welding orother suitable means, whereby the elongated hubs 39 and 41 provide, ineffect, an integral part of their respective jaws 18 and 19.

In the packaging of dried milk and other materials of a similarcharacter, in large multiply bags, it is customary to seal the open topsthereof with a suitable sealing tape which is folded over the flattenedbag top walls and suitably bonded thereto. In such bags it is alsocustomary to attach the strip of sealing tape, indicated at C in Figure8, to one of the walls of the flattened bag top during the manufactureof the empty bags, whereby onehalf of the tape projects above the bagtop and is provided with a suitable adhesive which is non-tacky when inits normal state. A similar adhesive may also be applied to the uppermarginal edge portion of the other bag top wall adapted to be engaged bythe projecting half of the tape, when subsequently folded over the bagtop and into engagement with the other bag top wall to be bonded theretoby the application of heat and pressure.

By reference to Figure 8 it will benoted that the clamping jaws 18 and19 engage the bag top at a point below the lower edge of the sealingtape C, whereby the adhesive coated portion of the sealing tape and alsothe adhesive coated upper marginal edge of the opposite bag top wall aredisposed above the jaws 18 and 19.

When the sealing tape is thus applied to the bag top before the fillingoperation, it is extremely important that the adhesive coated surfacesof the tape and bag top wall be kept free from foreign matter, as willbe understood.

Means is provided for definitely vertically locating the bag top on thefilling tube to assure the operator that the adhesive coated portion ofthe bag top and the half attached sealing tape c are located above thejaws 18 and 19, when the latter are engaged with the bag top as shown inFigure 8. To thus position and center the bag top on the filling tube, adepending plate 42, is shown adjustably mounted on the leg 43 of anangle iron bracket 44 by suitable bolts 45, received in a horizontalslot 46 provided in the leg 43, as shown in Figure 1. Angle bracket 44is secured to the platemember 8 by' suitable bolts 47. By thus mountingthe finger 42, it may readily be adjusted in fore-and-aft directionsrelative to the packing tube 2 to adapt the holder for bag tops ofdifferent sizes. Plate 42 has a portion 40 adapted to enter the bagmouth, and a shoulder 50, which serves as a limit stop for the upwardmovement of the bag top on the filling tube, as will be understood byreference to Figure 1.

In the operation of the novel bag holder herein disclosed the operatorgrasps an empty bag top and spreads the walls thereof and slips themover the lower end portion of the hollow spheroidal member 4 with therear end of the bag top engaging the abutment shoulder 50 on the plate42, as illustrated in Figure 1. The operator then grasps the opposite orforward end 48 of the bag top with one hand, and tensions the bag topwalls by exerting a pull thereon in the direction indicated by the arrowin Figure 3, thereby to firmly retain the rear end of the bag top inengagement with the finger 40 of the plate 42. He then grasps one of thejaws with his other hand and swings it in a direction towards the bagtop, whereupon both jaws are simultaneously swung into clampingengagement with the bag top walls, as shown in Figure 4, after which thelatch 37 is actuated to secure the clamping jaws in their operativepositions.

When the bag top is thus secured to the packer tube, the entire mouth ofthe bag is completely closed and sealed so that material delivered intothe bag from the packer tube cannot spout from the bag mouth. This willbe readily understood by reference to Figure 4, wherein it will be notedthat the end portions of the bag top which extend beyond the ends of thehollow member 4 are pressed into fiatwise relation by the resilientfacings 24 of the clamping jaws, as indicated at 49 in Figures 2 and 4.At the same time the arcuately formed intermediate portions of theclamping jaws similarly clamp the bag top walls against the side walls 6and 7 of the member 4 with a wiping action to smooth out the deckleedges of the bag top walls, and any other rough spots appearing thereon.

To prevent the material from spouting from the upper end of member 4, ahood 51, preferably of a porous textile fabric, has its lower endsecured to the upper end of the member 4 and its upper end to the packertube by suitable means, such as a clamping band 52. The web 5 whichconnects the inner surfaces of the walls 6 and 7 of member 4 with theperiphery of the packer tube 2., is formed to provide ai'r circulatingpassages 53 at the ends of member 4, whereby air confined within the bagbody and which may be entrained with the material during the fillingoperation, may pass upwardly from the bag through the air passages 53and through the pores in the walls of the hood 51 to the atmosphere.

The porosity of the walls of the hood 51 is such that finely comminutedmaterial or dust cannot escape through the pores thereof, but the airtrapped within the bag may freely escape therethrough. Thus, theoperation of filling bags on a packer equipped with the novel bag holderherein disclosed, may be accomplished in a dust-free atmosphere. Whenthe bag has received its full charge it may be delivered onto a suitableconveyor (not shown) positioned beneath the packer tube fortransportation to an adjacent station or apparatus for closing andsealing the bag top by folding the sealing tape C over the flattened bagtop walls and adhering it thereto. panying drawings, the jaws 18 and 19are shown mounted for manual operation. It is to be understood, however,that if desired, means may be provided whereby said jaws may be operatedby a foot pedal or by power means, without departing from the scope ofthe invention.

In the accom- In Figure 9 there is illustrated a slightly modifiedconstruction wherein the upper end of the member is sealed by a topplate or wall 54 having one end of a suction tube 55 attached theretowhich communicates with the interior of member 4. In the form here shownthe suction through the tube 55 is so controlled that only the finelypulverized material or dust is extracted from the member 4 and the upperend of the bag being filled during the filling operation.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, but the appended claims should be constructed as broadly aspermissible in view of the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a packer tube having its upper end incommunication with a hopper for supplying material thereto, a hollowmember of spheroidal cross-section fitted over and secured to the packertube with its spheroidal walls spaced outwardly from the walls of thepacker tube, a pair of clamping jaws mounted for pivotal movement in ahorizontal plane and interconnected for simultaneous operation inopposite directions, said jaws having concave wall portions cooperatingwith the spheroidal walls of said member to secure a bag top thereto toreceive a charge from the packer tube, and a shouldered elementpositioned to be engaged by each bag top to vertically locate the bagtop on said hollow member to assure accurate engagement of the bag topwalls by said clamping jaws when said jaws are swung into clampingengagement with the walls of a bag top.

2. In combination with a packer tube having its upper end incommunication with a hopper for supplying material thereto, a hollowmember of spheroidal cross-section fitted over and secured to the packertube with its spheroidal walls spaced outwardly from the walls of thepacker tube, a support for said tube and member, a pair of clamping jawsmounted for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane and interconnectedfor simultaneous operation in opposite directions, said jaws havingconcave bag top engaging wall portions adapted to cooperate with theopposed Walls of said member to secure a bag top to the packer tube infilling relation thereto, an element secured F to and depending fromsaid support and engageable with the rear end portion of each bag topfor supporting vertically locating and centering each bag top on saidhollow member prior to being engaged by the clamping jaws, and said jawsengaging the bag top walls with a wiping action, thereby to remove allwrinkles from the bag top walls during the operation of securing the bagtop to said member.

3. A bag holder for supporting large flexible walled bags to be filledwith powdered dry milk, a packer tube, a hollow member of spheroidalcross-section fitted over and secured to the lower end of the packertube with its spheroidal walls spaced from the walls of the packer tube,a support for the packer tube and said hollow member, a pair of clampingjaws mounted for pivotal movement on said support and swingable aboutvertically disposed axes located at opposite sides of the median planeof said hollow member, means interconnecting said jaws for simultaneousoperation in opposite directions, the curvatures of the inner concavebag-engaging faces of said jaws corresponding substantially to thecurvatures of the outer convex surfaces of the opposed side walls ofsaid hollow member, whereby the opposed walls of a bag top may be firmlygripped between said jaws and the walls of said hollow member, and a bagtop engaging element secured to and depending from said support andhaving a portion adapted to be received in an open bag top, whereby whenone end of a bag top is fitted over said hollow member and a pull isexerted over said hollow member and a pull is exerted on the oppositeend of the bag top, said jaws may be swung into clamping engagement withthe bag top walls to secure the bag top to said hollow member inleaktight relation and with the assurance the bag top walls will be freefrom wrinkles.

. 4. A bag holder, according to claim 3, wherein the opposite ends ofsaid jaws are fiat and firmly press the opposed end portions of theWalls of the bag top into flatwise relation against one another, whenthe bag top is secured to the hollow member by manipulation of said aws.

. 5. A bag holder for supporting large flexible walled flat bags to befilled with powdered dry milk, or the like, a packer tube, a hollowmember of spheroidal cross-section fitted over and secured to the lowerend of the packer tube with its long dimension extending from front torear of the apparatus, a support for the packer tube and said hollowmember, including a horizontal plate, a pair of bag top clamping jawsmounted for pivotal movement on, said support and swingable aboutvertically disposed axes located at opposite sides of the median planeof said hollow member, means interconnecting said jaws for simul taneousoperation in opposite directions, the inner bagengaging faces of saidjaws being concave and corresponding substantially to the outer convexsurfaces of the opposed walls of said hollow member, and a bag topengaging element secured to and depending from said horizontal plate andhaving a portion adapted to be received in the mouth of a bag fittedover said hollow member,

said element supporting the rear portion of the bag top and limiting itsupward movement relative to said jaws, whereby the jaws will engage thebag top at a location spaced downwardly from the upper marginal edges ofthe bag top walls, when the operator exerts a pull on the forwardportion of the bag top to maintain the bag top walls taut between saiddepending element and the operators hand, and whereby when said jaws areswung into clamping engagement with the bag top walls, they will engagethe bag top walls with a wiping action, thereby to remove all wrinklesfrom the bag top walls during the operation of securing the bag to saidhollow member for filling.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

